Arty Interview (FNT Exclusive)

22 year old Russian producer / DJ Artem Stolyarov, better known by his stage name Arty has slowly become a household name with his crossover Trance / Progressive sound that seems to fill space so well and has become so unique to him. Already hailed as a legend by the trance god himself, Armin van Buuren, Arty is only going to become better and better as he gets older. His earlier productions that trended towards trance are all fantastic like “Bliss”, his “Vanilla Sky” EP with his more recent productions like “Mozart”, “Trio“, his “Walking Alone” remix and most recently “Open Space” have been more that Trance / Progressive fusion, offering not just one style, but a plethora of sounds. You will never hear the same set twice from him because of how varied his tastes are. He can create the perfect set for any occasion and will masterfully manipulate the crowd every time. He has a radio show “2gether We Are” that shows off his varied tastes in music playing everything from Dubstep to progressive to trance, generally choosing songs that are not your already huge singles.

Looking ahead to what the rest of 2012 has in store for Arty. He has upcoming collaborations with Axwell (finished), Porter Robinson, his collab with BT & Nadia Ali – Must Be The Love, and singles “Together We Are”, and “When I See You”, recently revealed by Sebastian Ingrosso on the latest edition of Refune Radio. In my interview with him we discussed growing up in Russia and the scene there, his love for video games, talked about a few of his songs such as his trancey Drum N Bass collab with Paul van Dyk “Sun After Heartbreak”, taking final exams the day after ASOT 500 and much more.

FNT: What is your mindset going into a set and how do you adjust during your set?

Arty: I don’t know, I just go to the stage and see the people and I have some sort of playlist, some sort of tracks that I plan to play, but it really depends on the crowd, what’s the kind of crowd, what kind of tracks they like and what the vibe is. So I decide during my set.

FNT: Does it depend on the venue too because I saw you at A State Of Trance and you played more trance than this show.

Arty: Yeah for sure. If I am playing for A State of Trance I am playing more Trance, if I am playing just for a festival, I am playing more festival music. So as I said, it really depends on the crowd, because the crowds are really different. Some of them like more Electro stuff, some of them like more Trancey stuff, some of them like more emotional stuff, it really depends.

More of the interview after the jump!

FNT: Think back to your first professional gig. How was it?

Arty: It was at one of the Russian theaters? (his English is not the best). It was weird. It was a really party and played a really trancey set because it was in 2010. It was a good vibe and a lot of people there, we just had fun. But it was weird because I was not into DJ career, DJ life and a lot of things in the future that I just started to get used to.

FNT: Were you nervous going in?

Arty: Yea for sure. If it is a big crowd I am always nervous, even I am playing in a small club or a huge festival it is doesn’t matter you need to do as good as you can. You go to the crowd and only thing is supposed to be in your head to kill the people in a good way.

FNT: And you still get nervous for shows?

Arty: Yeah, still man.

FNT: How influential were your parents in your development as a DJ?

Arty: My parents were pretty cool because they see how my life has developed and they see that it is what I really like to do and this is my true passion and this is the reason why they do not have anything against music making and DJ career.

FNT: How was it trying to finish University and trying to start your blossoming DJ career?

Arty: It was hard for me because I was in the last year, actually one year ago and I had final exams and at the same time I had a lot of shows. I had a State of Trance 500 and it was on April 4th I suppose, I do not remember the exact date, but it was in the beginning of April and it was at the same time I had the government exams at my university the next day after the show, so as fast as I could I got to Russia. I played one of my most incredible shows in Holland, in Den Bosch, celebrating day for A State of Trance 500, but it is one of the most important exams in your life, so it was crazy experience and was the same when I got my diploma because the next day after the show I got my diploma, yeah back and forth. It is the thing you should be used to because it is your career and it only depends on you if you want to do it or if you don’t want to do it.

FNT: Were you ready for your exams?

Arty: I was ready! Yeah for sure because I spent a lot of time when I was on the road to study for my next exam and to know as much as I can about this study. So I just tried to do my best.

(this one may appear confusing because it was more back and forth)

FNT: The dance music scene is young in Russia….

Arty: It is not really young, right now it is more dead than young haha. But the guys like Hard Rock Sofa, Swanky Tunes, my friends Matisse & Sadko, they are pushing the scene as much as we can.

FNT: How much have you seen it evolve since your childhood?

Arty: Oh I don’t know, I was a kid. It was different the things in my head. I didn’t give a shit about electronic music and just had fun with my friends. I learned it was cool when I was really young, it was not about where you are going to go few years, if you want to be a DJ, if you want to an electronic producer, it just came suddenly. When I was a child, I made child things, when I grew up I started to think about more serious things. The electronic music was one of these serious decisions in my life.

FNT: Your song with Paul van Dyk “Sun After The Heartbreak”, how did you guys get to a Drum N Bass song?

Arty: No idea man. I just sent a few melodies to Paul van Dyk and he picked two melodies for the album and came to pick the big trance record like “The Ocean” to a Drum N Bass record, which was surprising for all of us and Paul van Dyk and me and people who listen to our music. It was a great experience because it was a chance to be different.

FNT: Was there a moment when you were like we need to do a Drum N Bass record?

Arty: No not really, it was just the melody. I mean this melody and Drum N Bass style could fit more than a straight beat like house or trance music. It is pretty cool to have different tracks in your album.

FNT: In your Topher Jones – Lost It All remix there are slight hints of Dubstep in the track. How did you get that, did it just match the song or were you experimenting with that?

Arty: It was just an idea. I still have a project that I didn’t finish. At first it was a remix for Topher Jones – Lost It All. it was a straight beat in 128bpm. After I realized that’s not what I want to have in the end, so I decided in 140 in beats a little bit similar to Dubstep, but it is totally not a Dubstep track. It is just a melodic track. I decided to change everything in the project and make 140 bpm electronic track. So that is how it came about.

FNT: What is the best advice you got from another DJ?

Arty: Yo man, I just got this question from the previous guys (I was his 3rd of 4 interviews after his show). Just follow your dream. I answer this way for this question, a hundred times (woops) because you need to realize what you want to do in your life and you need to work for it as hard as you can. We work hard when we are trying to get certain goals or highlights, it still keeps you like a developed person, trying to accomplish some things in your life. It is what keeps a human being a human being because your going somewhere.

*Editors Note*: I believe he mistook from with for and that made the answer very different.

FNT: Fun fact about Arty people wouldn’t normally guess?

Arty: I am a big video game geek, just a computer geek. I really like all the stuff that happens with computers and video games I am a big fan. Fun fact not so many people know about.

FNT: What is the best concert you have ever attended (not your own)?

Arty: I never had this experience before to be at another concert because my schedule right now is so busy that I just have not had a chance to out other shows.

FNT: And as a kid?

Arty: As a kid I was at home with my friends having fun to make all these cool lessons, to go to university. I am from a small town so there wasn’t much happening and i didn’t have a chance because I didn’t have money to go to Moscow to check out the big concerts like Coldplay, Madonna, whatever. Now I have a chance, but I don’t have the time for it. I have the money but don’t have the time.